Market Yourself Event teaches students how to be job professional

Students in Southern’s American Marketing Association (AMA) created the first annual Market Yourself event in the ballroom on March 14 to get students interested in how they will present themselves professionally upon graduation. The event ran for five hours and featured various guest speakers and hands-on workshops.

“This event encompasses a whole spectrum of opportunities for students: we have workshops, guest speakers and an alumni panel. You kind of get the full experience from all different angles, in that case you get more out of the event and you really learn how to put yourself out there,” said Julia Rotella, junior and President of Southern’s AMA. “As a marketing club, although we love marketing so we want everyone to understand the concept of marketing to use it on themselves.”

There were guest speakers from various concentrations in the school of business, journalism and administrators for Southern as well. In between speakers, students had the chance to sit in on any workshop that interested them. One was a LinkedIn profile building workshop, another was “mission market yourself” that created long-term plans for marketing yourself to employers, and another was Active Minds working with students on stress management. Students also had the opportunity to get free headshots.

“We’re targeting all students, not just seniors,” said Shannon O’Brien, Vice President of Southern’s AMA, “mostly just to raise awareness that you should prepare yourself all four years in college for internships, gain interview skills, getting your resume ready, learn how to write cover letters, network with people, and create professional online profiles.”

The AMA isn’t doing this just for business majors either. “We’re doing everything we can to help you get a better opportunity to better prepare yourself for your job or for your interview, whatever major you are,” said O’Brien.

Kristen Nicolia, communication major, was involved with signing students in and helping out with various tasks that day. She said that she wanted to join the AMA and help out with this event because it’s another thing that she can throw on her resume.

“The future is so close and graduation is so close that it’s really important to know how to build your resume and get yourself out there so you aren’t lost after you get your degree,” said Nicolia. “I’m happy that I can help out here because these are the events that are just as important as classes.”

Rotella had similar feelings about Market Yourself. She’s also excited to do this again next year and see what she can improve on.

“A bunch of us [in the AMA] were thinking about how Southern needs more events to help students. Southern’s events are usually just entertainers or guest speakers but nothing that’s really comprehensive in preparing students and providing them with professional skills that they will need in the future,” said Rotella.

Margarita Linet, junior business management major, stopped by because she’s thinking about where she’ll be after she graduates and said that she can never get enough advice when it comes to preparation.

“I needed help with my resume and I wanted to come to get a good headshot for my LinkedIn profile for free,” said Linet. “I’ve already been to the stress management workshop and I really enjoyed it. I feel like this event is really helpful and I plan on staying for a while longer to see what else I can absorb.”